What’s It Gonna Be Favre

The saga fit for reality television starring Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings continues to be the box office hit this week, but the coming out party for Mr. Favre was less than stellar. No. 4 completed 1 of 4 for 4 yards, he looked rusty and confused. But whose fault is it that Favre was forcing his muscles to work? Brad Childress has been the coach obsessed with this over the hill quarterback. He has centered his whole team around this 40-something year former gunslinger. I say former because Favre’s best days are obviously behind him. It’s such a pity that the show Hard Knocks did not take their show to the Vikes this season, because it would be quite a hit with the behind the scene starring with Favre his “forced to be disciples”.

Maybe it’s my paranoia, but the tension was even visually obvious in the practice huddle. I am not kidding you, the first few days of practice that we were privileged to see courtesy of the NFL Networks, was quite revealing. You could see the faces of the other quarterbacks looking a bit dazed from the mere presence of the “thief” who arrived in the dark to steal their thunder.

But as the world turns, I am taking a front seat to this action packed saga. If the Favre who showed up talking about having butterflies before the game, continues to have this lack-luster display of talent, fans and talking heads will boot him out of town. During his debut as the ’self-made” starter in Minnesota, Mr. Favre was upstaged somewhat by Tavaris Jackson who threw a “perfect game” or so said his own head coach “Brad C”. Childress ought to be ashamed of himself, no wonder he seem to be talking with his head down these days.

Poor Jackson, he lost the chance to be the starter when Brett was parachuted into town, and given the golden spoon without any training camp torture. But Jackson was not asking anyone to feel sorry for him, as he let his arm do the talking on Friday night. With rumors swirling that Jackson will be traded before the start of the season, I sure hope that he goes to a team that will utilize his services right away.

In comparison to Favre, Jackson really did showcase his arm and accuracy, Jackson’s quarterback rating for the game was a 158.3, which is the highest number attainable by the byzantine formula that calculates that statistic. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yarder to Darius Reynaud in the third quarter. And if teams were looking at this game to see if they might want to trade for Jackson, he didn’t do anything to hurt his case.

But seriously, is Brad C on some special meds on that short yellow bus? How could you want to trade Jackson, who even had the better 8-game stats last season in comparison to the “gray-haired” one Favre.

What if Favre get butterflies next game and has 0 for 9? Will Jackson be a serious contender as a starter? Or will Childress and the gang install Favre as the starter just to sell the tickets? Lots of questions Brad C! I really believe that Favre will be the Vikes’ “rain-man” and/or cash cow during this experiment and “the chosen”, which was anointed to save the team from empty seats this season, might put up numbers, sell tickets or simply retire at season’s end. After all it is a recession, and the teams need to make money.

So seriously Brad C, what’s it gonna be? To be or not to be is the question for Favre and Brad C.

Usain Bolt Lightning And Thunder

I have to admit that I am sentimental when it comes to former Jamaican sprinter Don Quarrie, but no one can not deny Mr. Bolt for his talent and abilities. When I first heard of Usian Bolt, I was amazed of the fact that he was a 400m runner who wanted to switch to the sprint double. I was drawn to that story, because I was a track and field athlete in high school who actually moved from running the 400m to the sprint double. In fact its quite an adjustment from 400m to the 100m and 200m, and this takes getting used to.

At the last Olympics I could not help cheering for Usain although he was going up against Asafa Powell – and it can be said that I am an unapologetic “homer” when it comes to “Safa”. But in life, you have to appreciate greatness and recognize talent for what it is. So maybe you call it bandwagon jumping, but I call it loyalty to my roots or part of it so to speak.

Usain Bolt is this once in a life time phenomenal athlete that I believe have several more record breaking performance in him. He runs with such ease and unlike the other sprinters in the past, he manages to stay loose. You might be wondering how sprinters from this little island cranks it up race after race to finish on top. But Jamaica’s track and field stars are born at the elementary and middle school level. Athletes are able to determine their strengths and weaknesses at an early age.

Whether there is another specimen like Usain Bolt, one will never know until a few years from now when “Lightning” exits stage left, and in my ideal world become a high flying wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. Bolt’s record breaking sprint double at the recently concluded World Games will just be another measuring stick for his next race, as I feel he has a 9.4 seconds in him for that 100m.

So lets put out hands together and cheer for this freak of nature sprinter from the little island of Jamaica, not at all forgetting Asafa Powell and his contribution to the history books as well.

Brett Favre, His Legacy And The Pursuit By Brad Childress

I guess the latest news to hit the sports airwave today is still not sitting well with me. But maybe I am just a bitter sports fan who rants too much about issues that bothers me. The return of quarterback Brett Favre to the NFL, and more so the Minnesota Viking could be one of those very reasons that I get grumpy as a sports fan.

Frankly speaking I thought that I was way over this Brett Favre saga a few blogs ago, but obviously not. Here I am again like the “retired” and “unretired” quarterback Brett Favre blogging away on the day’s breaking news.

Over the past three weeks, I have made some pretty bold statements about the status of old Favre, one of which, was that he was just laying low until training camp got down to the wire. Maybe I said that just to compensate for any emotional response I would have had, should the old guy decided against his retirement for just one more time. It seems as though I should always bank on my gut feelings, because it saved me from screaming and/or swearing today, when I heard of the news.

Over the past four years, Brett has retired so many times, I am simply afraid to check on the meaning of that word, which if, my memory serves me correctly has a certain ring to it – like done, finished, dismissed, over and I could go on and on.

The continued pursuit by Brad Childress of this old guy Favre, made me think, that Childress was just interested to sell tickets instead making the playoffs or earning the respect of his team. Is Brad Childress some kind of fool, who would forego the option of bringing in good candidates instead of an old guy who has seen better years. Isn’t a head coach supposed to be a leader, be trustworthy, the injector of confidence, the motivator, the philosopher and a doer?

So when did we downgrade the coach’s role to be the cheerleader, the groupie, the follower, the blind and the dumb. How could the owners allow the head coach, to call the shots based on his childhood dreams and not his adult ambitions. Have the Minnesota Vikings ownership and front office lost their ever loving minds?

Brett Favre will be punishing us for the next one or two or three or four years, because he neglected to venture in the post career planning business. He will be forcing us to lose our sports fan religions, as we will be cursing the TV sets, our fantasy leagues, our friends and other fans, for having to watch him get beat down on Sundays and Mondays.

Which leads me to the his press conference and a certain tone which he took with the reporters today. Favre was not his old warm and fuzzy self, it was as if he was chosing to be on the defense instead of offense. He told one reporter that anyone who had questions about his on again off again decision to play, should simply not watch him play. A bit brassy, from the tearful Favre who has given a few too many press conferences about his retirement.

While I do not know how it must feel being one of the other quarterbacks on the team, I know they must have heard voices in their heads from the first day of camp. How could they not have been chased by the ghost of Favre? When in my opinion, Favre was just essentially told to lay low.

And to futher add insult to my grumpiness, I had to sit there and listen to Favre telling “John Public” that he is still nursing a rotator cuff tear with heavy build up of calcification. Hmm, sounds like the team brought him in for tickets sales rather than for throwing touchdowns.

At the end of the day it will not matter, who watches Brett Favre and the Vikings, but the truth shall be told that Favre and only Favre owns his legacy, at least he was clear enough about that fact during the press conference.

So as we wonder off, waiting around for the preseason game on Friday, lets hope that Favre will be the Savior the Vikings needed, so that next year, coaches with less than stellar teams can have the chance to call Mareno, Moon, Elway, Montana and Kelly out of retirement. And one thing those guys will have to do for me, is to show up for their press conference as cocky as Favre was today.

The Brad Childress we saw in that press conference today should also know his faith at the end of the season, as he is now playing on the last two year of his current contract. If he does not return, will the jock-strap chasing of Favre, be the sole reason, he will be asked to retire?

And so, here is my official retirement for this Favre saga, I will need a one way ticket to blog heaven, where I can write about all things sports, be less grumpy and certainly for a winning season for my Eagles.

An Earnest Prayer To The Football Gods

Dear Football Gods:
I am a humble fan, whose only sin is being guilty of trash talking with my friends. And since you know everything about me. You do know that I secretly curse Rich Eisen and Jamie Dukes if they are not given a thumb up to the Eagles.

But since this is officially opening night for preseason football. I thought I would send up a special prayer for my injury-proned Eagles. If I see anyone else hurt on my favorite team, I swear I will apply for special exemption to play in this league.

I have been reading, tweeting, blogging about all things NFL for the last several months and hope that you will not hold anything against me for the blunt statements I have made about the players union, league office and yes the infamous NFL Commissioner.

In all fairness, I am a football activist and I hope that you have already deciphered that. I call the plays like I see them and god forbid, if there is any injustice. Players have been called out, and even coaches.

I am taking full responsibility however, if karma is what has gotten to the players on the Eagles. I will endeavor to be a careful fan. I will vow not to get caught up in the proverbial hype. I will spare the announcers and networks talking heads my wrath on game day, and will be civil even to my children for cheering for the Cardinals and Falcons – seriously though – will I get punished if I don’t even regard the Falcons as a real team. Lol.

There is something new, in case you do not have Internet service up there in football heaven. I have been given the opportunity to do a sport radio segment on Australian Sports Radio and my show streams live on the Internet on Saturday evenings. I have gotten positive feedback and is holding my own.

This year, the golf gods have decided to give me a pass and a temporary excuse, until January – yes that’s it, if I don’t play golf early on Saturday or Sunday mornings, there will be no golf at all. I have decided however to “tivo” all things Tiger Woods.

Finally, I pray Michael Vick gets a new home soon, that Stallworth rehabilitates himself, that TO scores about 16 touchdowns, that Haynesworth get double digits sacks, that Derrick Brooks gets a contract as it might be his final year. Just a few more wishes, I hope Eli finally signs his deal, LT with be back being successful this year, Reggie Bush will be injury free and Brett Favre stays retired. It will be nice to see John Gruden in the booth for MNF, and hopes that Howie Long changes that hairdo.

In closing. I give thanks that Donavan McNabb got a contract extension, sad that Brian Dawkins has left us and really hope that Michael Crabtree will sign his deal before the lock out. Good luck to that D-Man at the NFLPA: DeMaurice Smith and I hope that Roger Goodell will take himself lightly.

Have to run, I forget to change my ringtone to the Eagles fight song and that’s Andy Reid calling me to talk about the Jim Johnson playbook I bough on eBay. Are you ready for some football….la la la la.

Michael Vick vs. Donte Stallworth

I will be hard pressed to accept the fact that Mr. Stallworth is allowed to be reinstated and Mr. Vick has to sit and wait. I have always regard myself as a great legal mind, thanks to my teachers, the attorneys I have worked for and the extra seminars that I have attended.

But I have been following the Stallworth story since day one, and for some reason I think he is being handled with care and Michael Vick, who has completed his sentence, is subjected to a slight case of double jeopardy.

I am just curious to know whether Stallworth proved a certain level of “remorse” when he met with Roger Goodell, after having only served 24 days in jail. I want to know whether his crime is in anyway less than the crime committed by Vick. After all a human being died here.

I am not blaming Stallworth for moving forward with his life, by seeking to prepare for re-entry into the NFL. At this point I have not seen any statement released by the League office regarding the Commissioner’s meeting with Stallworth, no one even bothered to let the inquiring minds know if the level of remorse displayed by Stallworth met the same threshold as Vick’s. Again after all an innocent man lost his life here.

While it remains to be seen where Michael Vick goes, I am still not comfortable about the open-ended reinstatement granted by the NFL, will he be able to go to training camp, play in a pre-season game or sit out six games? Will the concise version of his reinstatement, please stand up?

Stallworth on the other hand, who has had prior infractions with the law, should be allowed to at least complete a year on probation before he seeks reinstatement, as it will give him a chance to be fully complaint with the “good behavior standards” outlined in his probation. Vick on the other hand has completed his sentence and should be given a chance to make a step forward. While I know for a fact that both men mean well, we cannot hold them at different standards.

A crime is a crime, regardless of statutory guidelines; the NFL should provide equal footing for the players to be rehabilitated. How will there be any precedence, if Vick is treated differently from Stallworth, when their crimes are equally repulsive?

Am I to believe that the league is over its head with legal issues facing the players and the benchmarks by which punishment is administered? Maybe it’s a good time for the Players Union to put their feet down and open a dialogue – seeking to educate players on conduct policies and holding the league responsible for making sure that the right and privilege cliché remains in effect with clear and concise precedence.

Harder They Come Movie Sparks Interest In US

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in association with Jan Ryan, Robert Fox and Michael White are proud to present, for the first time in the United States, the Theatre Royal Stratford East and UK Arts production of the internationally acclaimed hit musical THE HARDER THEY COME, opening August 29 in the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. Direct from London’s West End, THE HARDER THEY COME will offer audiences a peek into the journey of an aspiring reggae star as depicted in the 1972 international breakthrough film that caused a reggae music explosion heard around the world.

Hailed by Time Out as “a real thrill…the band is tight, the clothes are right – it’s a sure-fire smash hit,” THE HARDER THEY COME features a cast of 16 Jamaican-born performers and tells the story of young singer Ivanhoe Martin (played by Rolan Bell) as he arrives in Kingston, Jamaica with dreams of becoming a reggae star. A corrupt and drug-fueled music industry drives him into a fast and furious life as Jamaica’s most-wanted outlaw and most-celebrated underground star.

Reggae music star and pioneer Jimmy Cliff starred in the ‘70s film of the same title, which catapulted the island’s signature sound into a globally recognized and respected genre, turning Jimmy Cliff and reggae music in general, into an international sensation. “With top-class acting, singing and dancing, [this] superb production faithfully distils not just the movie’s music and characters, but also, somehow its soul” (The Standard).

“The Harder They Come made music history, introducing the world, and the United States in particular, to reggae music. Miami, in the summer of 2009, will be long remembered as the epicenter of cultural history as we host the U.S. premiere of this hit musical at the Adrienne Arsht Center,” said Adrienne Arsht Center President and CEO, M. John Richard. “With three international stage productions to enjoy this summer, including the return of last summer’s smash-hit Celia: The Life and Music of Celia Cruz and the visual spectacular Fuerza Bruta, South Florida has a world of entertainment options that reflect the diversity of our resident community.”

Accompanied by a killer band of outstanding reggae musicians, the cast performs all the classic songs from the film soundtrack, including “By the Rivers of Babylon,” the title song, and the unforgettable global phenomenon, “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”

The film of THE HARDER THEY COME was written, produced and directed by the late Perry Henzell. Perry also wrote the book for the musical, which was originally produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East and UK Arts. The West End production, which comes to Miami is directed by Kerry Michael and Dawn Reid and produced by Jan Ryan and Robert Fox.

THE HARDER THEY COME The new smash-hit musical based on the legendary Jimmy Cliff movie that turned reggae into an international sensation!
A hard-driving, irresistible musical celebration! Young singer Ivan Martin heads to Kingston with dreams of becoming a reggae star, but a corrupt and drug-fueled music industry drives him into a fast and furious life as Jamaica’s most-wanted outlaw and most-celebrated underground star. Accompanied by a killer band of outstanding reggae musicians, the cast performs all the classic songs from the film soundtrack, including “By the Rivers of Babylon,” the title song, and the unforgettable global phenomenon, “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council. Education & Outreach is funded in part by The Children’s Trust. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from private and corporate contributions to the Performing Arts Center Foundation of Greater Miami Inc. through its Visionary Society Membership Program and Major Gifts Program; City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency; American Express Company; Arison Arts Foundation; Dade Community Foundation; ExxonMobil Inter-America Inc.; Funding Arts Network; Southern Arts Federation; The MAP-Fund, a program of Creative Capital, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

About the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
The Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is Miami-Dade County’s largest ever public/private-sector partnership, comprised of an $150 million private capital campaign conducted by the Performing Arts Center Foundation and public funding drawn primarily from the County’s Convention Development Tax revenues, as well as the City of Miami Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency. Greatly enhancing the artistic and educational opportunities in South Florida, the Adrienne Arsht Center will have significant and long-term economic benefits for the city and the region.

For additional information, please contact Suzette Espinosa at 786.468.2221/sespinosa@arshtcenter.org and/or
Suzan McDowell 305-576-3790/suzan@circleofonemarketing.com

Rashard Lewis And His Elevated Testosterone Levels

If you care about your future as a pro athlete, should you be aware of the
substance(s) you take in your over the counter vitamins? Should you also be aware
of the substance(s) listed on your league’s list of banned substance? The answers
to both questions should be an overwhelming yes.

As an agent who cares about my client and their reputation, I usually dispense harsh words reality to my clients, which sometimes make me persona non grata in their books. But honestly I really don’t care if they accuse me of being zealous, over protective and too cautious, because when they lose monies to fines, I do too. Not only that, I am always available for comments, if the media shoots me a question about my clients, so it would be in my best interest to lay that ground work for a positive comment instead of damage control.

There seems to be a growing trend with the NFL players taking banned substance, and even though the fines and penalties are pretty steep, it seems to continue. But when I learned of the Rashard Lewis incident, I was totally taken for a loop. I also found out that he is the 6th player of all time to have tested positive for a banned substance.

Lewis is like superman on the court, his energy level is always high, and during last season’s playoff he was a force to be reckon with from downtown. It was rather pleasing to see a player like him coming of age at the right time. So how did this happen, how does he fail a drug test due to elevated testosterone levels?

Players make a lot of money and sometimes are not affected by the steep fines attached to these mishaps, but money is money and losing $1.6m, as he is supposed to this season is a bit steep for my liking. Obviously the team has issued a statement echoing their support for him, but I hope they will feel the same way when he is missing for 10 games. What is it worth though, risking the loss of $1.6m only to say that he did not know about the supplements being on the NBA list of forbidden substances.

Is that enough by Lewis’ standard, or am I just the over-bearing, over-zealous and persona non grata agent. At the end of the day, I am proud of those undesirable accomplishments. At least my clients get to keep their cheddar. A serious concern of which, Lewis and his agent should have.

The off season acquisition of Vince Carter and the Magic parting ways with Hedo leaves a lot hanging on the shoulder of Mr. Lewis, and with his mammoth salary, he needed to double down on his knowledge of the specific ingredients of the supplements. Heck, he already has the talent for the Magic’s investment, lets educated Mr. Lewis as to the dos and don’ts of substance abuse. Of course this goes to every diuretic taking NFL player out there in steroids land and god forbid the rest of the NBA.

I am just curious to know how many other NFL or NBA players are consuming vitamins that might cause this kind of result. Note to self Lewis’ agent, please print your client the list and get busy with him, as far as the list of substance goes. Another reminder to agents and players disclosure is crucial on both part, and all of this ill could and will be averted. When in doubt simply Google it.

TWITTERVERSE V. NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, et al.

UNITED STATES DIS-TWEET COURT
SOUTHERN DIS-TWEET OF FLORIDA
ALICEJAM PISSED OFF DIVISION

CASE NO. TO BE ASSIGNED

TWITTERVERSE, an international movement and
TWITTERERS, individually State-side

vs.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
A/k/a NO FUN LEAGUE, NOT FOR
LONG, NOT FULLY LAUNCHED
As personal representative of the 32
FOOTBALL TEAMS and ESPN,
enabler, co-signer and co-conspirator
of the NFL and its aliases

COMPLAINT FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF ALLOWING TWITTER TO BE ALLOWED FREELY BY THE NFL AND ESPN

Plaintiffs, by and through their undersigned tweet-counsel, for the purpose of this instant action, allege upon personal knowledge that the above-mentioned Defendants (namely NFL and ESPN) (hereinafter referred to as the “3-letter and 4-letter words) have caused and/or instructed employees, pro-athletes and other team personnel to refrain from using twitter to report on the daily activities of their lives. Plaintiffs believe and allege that they have substantial evidence in support of these allegations, which will be set forth herein.

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs bring this action as a class action lawsuit, pursuant to the federal guidelines and applicable laws in this court, for purposes of jurisdiction and venue. Beginning in June of 2009, when the “3-letter and its co-conspirator 4-letter word became very intrigued by the activities and daily tweets of its employees (hereinafter “NFL ballers” and “ESPN shot callers.”)

The commish for the defendant 3-letter word and his handlers issues a statement aka the “wrath of god” to all its players, advising them against their intentions to tweet during games. As a side note, for this honorable court to consider, no such refrain was offered when a certain ball club decided to tape the play calling of another ball club. Insofar as no one from the “No Fun League” issued a ban on the use of video cameras. Hmmm.

The 4-letter word defendant recently, and only after the 3-letter word defendant issued a ban of twitter (asking all 32 teams to co-sign), told their employees that they could not tweet anything else other than news post about ESPN.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

This court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action again pursuant to the applicable federal laws.

Venue is proper because, simply put, people are tweeting everywhere, so are the NFL ballers and ESPN shot-callers.

PARTIES

Plaintiffs reside in the US and beyond, their tweets can be seen worldwide.

Defendants have their headquarters in thirty-two cities, including but not limited to NYC and Bristol, CT.

INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

As tweet-counsel and a twitterer myself, I bring this action on behalf of tweeps like @ddocket of AZ Cardinal, @OGOchoCinco of the Bengals, @PTI of ESPN, @AroundTheHorn, just to name a few. Not leaving out the NFL loving fans @heykim @OHBriBri, @HoustonDiva @debdobson @icegrill @artistrikards and hell-raiser: @Lizzs_Lockeroom. FYI these are all potential witness, whose exhibit “As” can be found at www.twitter.com/whatever name they have.

DEFENDANTS HAVE BREACH THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF ALL PERSONS INVOLVED

Forget the stupid “playing in the NFL is not a right, it’s a privilege” cliché, tweeting has nothing to do with playing. It is essentially a hobby done on “down-time”, and in twitterverse, this could be anytime you are free, even from the sidelines. The league’s commish, (I will not say his name, I reserve my right to use it in my other lawsuit, i.e: PEOPLE v. Super Bowl to London, et al.) has a twitter account, but I have not seen a tweet from him , for instance, he could have sent a tweet when he met with Mike Vick to exam his level of remorse. LOL.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs pray for relief as follows:
The Coaches, General Mangers, Commissioner and the Powers That Be at ESPN lift the stupid band censoring of the 140 characters expression of creativity (aka “tweet”) by its employees and players.

And that the court awards reasonable tweet counsel fees and cost and any other relief deemed proper. (Like Fans watching the game at home on Fox with @richeisen and @JamieDukes in the booth)

Dated this 6th day of August, 2009

@alicejam
Sports Blogger, Sports Right Activist and Hell-Raiser

NFL Hall Of Famer Derrick Thomas Was No Average Joe

On February 8, 2000, NFL fans lost one of their most noble statesmen. And for as much statistics that this gridiron hero has laid down in the history books, as a fan the only thing I still think of, until this day, was the way he died and the family, friends and legacy he left behind.

Derrick Vincent Thomas born January 1, 1967 in Miami, Florida. He was raised by his mother Edith Morgan, his father Air Force Captain Robert James Thomas died during a mission in the Vietnam War. Thomas started playing football since the tender age of three and continued through his years as South Miami Senior High School.

Thomas earn a scholarship to the University of Alabama, and went on to become one of the finest players in Alabama history. Derrick Thomas smashed many Crimson Tide defensive records, including sacks in a single season. He was awarded the Butkus Award in 1988 after a season which saw him record 27 sacks along with finishing 10th in Heisman Trophy balloting. He was also selected as a unanimous All-American at the conclusion of the 1988 season. He was awarded the Sington Soaring Spirit Award by the Lakeshore Foundation. This annual award is named for University of Alabama football legend Fred Sington.

After college, Thomas was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989 as the 4th overall pick. He played his entire 11-year career for the Chiefs after being drafted 4th overall in the 1989 NFL Draft. Thomas’s rookie year was very successful, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Sporting News, and was the first Chiefs’ linebacker to be elected to the Pro Bowl in his first season since Hall of Fame player Bobby Bell. He would appear in nine Pro Bowls during his career.

Thomas was perhaps most well known for his ability to sack the quarterback and was named an All-Pro 8 times and was voted to 9 Pro Bowls. He totaled 126.5 sacks in his career and still holds the single game record of 7 quarterback sacks, a feat which occurred against Seattle’s Dave Krieg on Veterans Day 1990 (in a 17-16 loss).
He is one of only 22 NFL players to achieve 100 or more sacks, and ranks fifth all-time in Chiefs’ history with 649 career tackles. During his career, he also recorded 1 interception and recovered 19 fumbles, returning them for 161 yards and 4 touchdowns. Thomas established Chiefs career records for sacks, safeties, fumble recoveries, and forced fumbles. His 45 forced fumbles are also an NFL career record) Off the field, Thomas established the Third and Long Foundation.

On January 23, 2000, Thomas’ 1999 Chevrolet Suburban went off Interstate 435 as he and two passengers were driving to Kansas City International Airport, where he was going to fly to St. Louis to watch the NFC Championship game; police reports indicate that Thomas, who was driving, was speeding and weaving through traffic at the time of the accident. Thomas and one of the passengers were not wearing seat belts and both were thrown from the car; the passenger was killed instantly. The second passenger, who was wearing his safety belt, walked away from the scene uninjured. Thomas was left paralyzed from the chest down. He died on February 8, 2000, in Miami, of a pulmonary embolism, a massive blood clot that developed in his paralyzed lower extremities and traveled through his venous system to his lungs.

On January 31, 2009, Derrick Thomas was one of six players selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will be officially inducted at the 2009 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. He had been a finalist for induction for four years before his induction. The Chiefs announced on June 23, 2009 that they will retire #58 in honor of Thomas. His number will be retired against the Denver Broncos on December 6th. Thomas was survived by his seven children, mother, sisters, brother, nieces and nephews. They are Burgandie, Derrick Jr., Derrion, Derrius, Robert, Micayla, and Alexa. Derrion is currently a high school football player who hopes to play college football.

Thomas’ mother established the Moms2Moms58 Foundation to honor her son’s legacy. The foundation works with professional football players, non-profit organizations, community leaders, political figures and entertainers to educate the public on car seat and seatbelt safety, children’s health and sports safety outreach to inner-city youth. Each year Moms2Moms58 hosts the “Celebration of Life Celebrity Weekend” in Derrick’s hometown of Miami, FL.

The Celebration of Life was established to honor the life and charitable works of Thomas through music, entertainment and fundraising for community enrichment programs. Moms2Moms58 and Celebration of Life are administered through 501(c)(3) status. The Derrick Thomas Academy, a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, opened in September 2002. It serves 950 children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

DT, RIP man I miss the ESPN Higlights and the vigor you brought with your charity work. We know you are up there looking down.

I See Pro Golfer John Daly For The Good He Has Done

As I write this blog post, I am looking back, and is thankful for the path I have travelled as a human being, whether in my career, single motherhood, individually and or as a friend. I think seriously about my successes and failures and I am grateful for the opportunities good or bad. Only since those travels have made me who I am as a person.

I think life and its experiences prepare you seriously for what is to come, but sometimes the road travelled is not all that smooth, sometimes detailing a bumpy ride.

You may wonder why I am pouring my heart out in a sports and entertainment blog, and to you I would say, this is my only venue, to express my feeling, gratitude and emotions. I will also say that, someone needs to hear what I am about to write. And in some weird way, I just want to say how very much life imitates sports and sports definitely imitates life. Leading me right into the real reason for writing this post.

Everyone who knows me, or is just remotely acquainted will tell you that I am a hardcore golf fan, they will tell you also that I have a decent swing and even better golf game. But what they might not know is that I am a self made golf historian (lol). I follow the history of golf by reading about the guys who came before, Arnie, Jack, Ben, Phil and Tiger. But today, as I sit here and write to you, this post will not be about those legends or soon to be. This post will be dedicated to pro golfer John Daly the fighter, “big swing John”, and the humanitarian.

John Patrick Daly was born in Carmichael, California on April 28, 1966, but moved with family to Dardanelle, Arkansas when he was five, and he began playing golf the following year. Daly later attended Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri and was a letterman in football and golf, becoming Missouri state champion in golf. He later accepted a scholarship to the University of Arkansas as a member of their golf team.

John has been in the winners’ circle on numerous occasions on the PGA Tour, and you might remember him famously for his historic British Open win years ago. After turning pro in 1991, Daly has endured the highs and lows of professional sports and among and against its best odds, held on to fight his way back from a recent PGA Tour suspension to stops on the European Tour.

John showed up in Europe with his game in hand, finishing second in the 2009 Italian Open. As he continued playing his stops in Europe, I prayed for him, hoping that he would be back home strutting his stuff for the stateside fans. Never letting us miss a beat on his European voyage, we heard from him via twitter with his “Daly” updates about spending time with his new girlfriend, practice, his new golf fashions and his birthday celebration. Yes we were all rooting for John.

I have been extremely excited about his return to the PGA Tour, yes the dude with the big swing and absolutely perfect finish made strides in the British Open and the Golf Channel and ESPN highlights were my favorite. The comeback kid with the funny pants seemed happy and at ease again.

So recently, when I watched John at the Buick Open, I was saddened, but very hopeful. I realized that life had once again, knock on the wrong door for him. One thing made me hopeful though , was the fact that he always has the fighter power no matter. He has wheeled himself back and risen to the occasion. So I am praying hard that he overcomes all this odds and knocks one in from off the fringe at a PGA Tour stop real soon.

Daly’s career has been interrupted from time to time by off-course personal incidents but has always weathered the storm. Which tells me deep down inside, there is a man who wants to do the right thing.
He recorded an autobiographical album titled My Life, featuring guest performances by Darius Rucker, Willie Nelson, Johnny Lee, and Daron Norwood. He also contributed background vocals for the “Half Your Age” track on the 2007 Kid Rock album entitled Rock And Roll Jesus. I bought the album for the hell of it, because I did not know any golfers who wanted to do the music thing – and was pleasantly surprised.

So, say what you want about John Daly, he is someone, we should all be rooting for, because even in his deepest darkest hour. He has a shining light from within. In my contact with John via twitter, he has always been funny, upbeat and always reaching out to his fans.

Well from what I know about him, playing golf is only one of the reasons why I am a big fan, the other being his commitment to giving back to the community. Which to me says a lot about one’s commitment to life in general and there is no immitation to that.

Daly is known for his involvement in many charities including several in northwest Arkansas. He has donated money to his high school, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Daly is also an active supporter of the sports programs at the University of Arkansas. He shaved his signature “mullet”, and donated the proceeds from the event to various charities. Daly regularly plays in the celebrity Pro-Am Monday After the Master hosted by his friends, Hootie and the Blowfish.

As my Dad (a wise man) once told me, he said that we should always look for the good people have done, whether for you or someone else, because if you do, that is what you will remember about them. A saying that I hold very near and dear to my heart. Here is hoping Mr. Daly will rise soon to the occasion and be back on his winning ways. Until then, I am one fan who will be praying that he does.

John, if you are reading this blog post, I know a handful of people rooting for you to get better. Hope you are checking your twitter mentions, as @heykim and @deb_dobson all sent their best regards. Don’t turn off that little light that shines from within. Much love and god speed. “tweet you later”